Calm and Collected

Ever since U.S. health officials declared a public health emergency over the H1N1 strain of the influenza virus—commonly known as “swine flu”—worry has arguably spread faster than the disease itself. Some countries have imposed bans on travel to Mexico, and some international flights carrying passengers who complained of flu symptoms have even made emergency landings at the nearby major cities. Yet, in the midst of the panic surrounding the outbreak of the disease, which has appeared in several probable cases on the campus of the School of Dental Health, Harvard’s reaction to swine flu addresses what is surely a major concern in a calm and rational way.

While it is a fundamentally good thing that the Harvard community has been notified via e-mail of the disease’s potential to spread and of its presence on campus, perhaps the best thing about Harvard’s reaction is its commitment to informing the community instead of inspiring panic. We certainly echo the recommendations of University Health Services officials who have suggested taking small precautions such as frequent hand-washing, but we hope that students do not allow a fear of contracting this new flu strain to inhibit their daily routines and activities. In cases like this one, caution—rather than chaos—is key.

Of course, we hope that the swine flu “pandemic” never materializes and that the current situation does not worsen. Current information suggests that the outbreak may be less severe than was originally suspected and that swine flu might not, after all, be nearly as deadly as the infamous 1918 flu strain. Still, caution and vigilance are more than warranted. We hope that UHS will be ready to confront the problem if and as it develops any further. All steps should be taken to ensure that Harvard is prepared to handle a major outbreak on campus, even if an outbreak never actually appears.

But Harvard should not merely allocate its medical resources to protect its own people. Honoring a long-standing commitment to serve the community as a whole, the university should consider dedicating resources to fighting a swine flu outbreak, especially among the elderly and the poor, two demographics which may be underresourced and in greater danger for having the disease. Thus far, the university’s rational internal reaction to the swine flu scare has been perfectly appropriate. By reaching out beyond Harvard’s walls, if the situation warrants it, Harvard’s response could become even more of a paragon.